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# Homeless have rights, buster
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/homeless-have-rights-buster-editor/
- Published: 2002-11-16T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:56:22.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless

*By Thom Trybus*

This letter is drafted for the express purpose of replying to the Nov. 13th letter submitted to you by the elusive and mysterious person who refers to himself as the Latin legal term Pro Se, entitled: “Homeless problem needs vision and plan.”

Pro ya’ ain’t. It is very clear by the language and form of your letter buster... and as far as what you have proposed in your poorly drafted letter, well, an up-and-coming little Commie Pinko S.O.B could perhaps have done no better.

Small wonder why people such as yourself would ever stand a rat’s ass chance of being elected to anything anywhere. Where is your head at man? Up there? By advancing your so clever moniker, it can be supposed that you know or at least believe that you understand something about law. If so, how in the hell can you take the position you have towards the small numbers of largely defenseless homeless who just happen to spill over into this little quaint city by the sea from it’s directly adjacent huge neighbor, Los Angeles?

In the U.S., we all learn as early as grammar school students that so long as you are a legal citizen, buster, you can come and go anywhere you please, at any time. It’s called freedom, pal, if you don’t understand it. And it comes with constitutional guarantees, mind you. Proposals such as what you have put forth are ludicrous, and would never work in a country which embraces freedom as dearly as ours. Get a clue, pal, or go back to school to learn some things you obviously missed along the way.

You suggest that the U.S. government “redirect” veterans benefit checks to the V.A. to dispense certain services, etc., essentially “stripping” the payments out of veterans’ hands whether they like it or not, and without any debate, due process, studies, et al. That might be just the ticket for someone to do to you if you enjoy being constitutionally trounced by others, but you will probably never see the day where your crazy ideas would be advanced and pushed upon others deserving of those benefits.

You want a constitutional amendment to apply strict camping ordinances in all cities? Sorry, Pro, doesn’t work that way. Constitutional amendments only come about because of enormously important issues faced by our federal (not merely state or local) government. Regardless of how you would otherwise wish it so. And, there are differences between camping (that is, with a recreational vehicle or a fully set up tent, stove and hammock) and just resting one’s weary bones on a sidewalk.

The latter, if anything, is simply loitering. And the U.S. Supreme Court just struck down as unconstitutional unfairly applied loitering laws. If you follow law, you would know that Santa Monica’s so-called “camping” laws are merely unconstitutionally applied versions of those rejected loitering laws. And as such they are being challenged in the courts.

Police having more to say about the services offered to homeless, and applying more rules, regulations and questionably legal pressure has “traditionally” been rejected by the courts. The courts have always leaned towards the “least intrusive means doctrine.” That is, the less law the better. And it works. The homeless would work, too, if you gave them a chance, instead of giving any and all opportunities to do so to those who least deserve it: illegals. While most of us others are compelled to be “diverse,” what about the overwhelming service and labor forces in Santa Monica dominated by our neighbors south of the border?

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 16, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/111602.pdf?ref=smdp.com)